Skookumchuck Dam

The Skookumchuck Dam is located in Thurston County, Washington, approximately 16 kilometeres (10 miles) upstream from Centralia.

Skookumchuck is a run-of-river dam constructed in 1970 to support our operations. In 1990, a small powerhouse was constructed to produce hydro power from the site.

Skookumchuck is an earthfill structure approximately 58 metres (190 feet) high and 408 metres (1,340 feet) long. A six-kilometre (four-mile) long reservoir provides water to our Centralia facility .

The dam has a multi-level intake system located at elevations of 137 metres (449 feet), 128 metres (420 feet), and 115 metres (378 feet) that allows water temperature below the dam to be maintained at less than 15 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit).

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) uses a portion of the water for a fish-rearing facility downstream of the dam.